Sunday, February 12, 2017

AUSTIN, Texas — Enforcement actions underway in Texas as part of the nationwide Operation Cross Check have landed 44 criminal aliens in federal detention this week.

Following news about criminal aliens being arrested in Austin, Texas, by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, Breitbart Texas reached out to the local ICE spokesperson to learn if the arrests were part of an ongoing operation. While the ICE spokesperson would not confirm or deny the operation, U.S. Representative Joaquin Castro confirmed the arrests underway in Austin and throughout South and Central Texas are part of Operation Crosscheck.

“I have been informed by ICE that the agency’s San Antonio field office has launched a targeted operation in South and Central Texas as part of Operation Cross Check,” Castro said in a written statement obtained by Breitbart Texas. “I am asking ICE to clarify whether these individuals are in fact dangerous, violent threats to our communities, and not people who are here peacefully raising families and contributing to our state. I will continue to monitor this situation.”

ICE Spokesperson Adelina Pruneda would not release any details about the criminal aliens being arrested, or any possible operation in progress when contacted by Breitbart Texas.

She did confirm that one ICE officer was injured in Austin while attempting to take a criminal alien into custody. The alien’s family allegedly attempted to intervene in the arrest. The officer received minor injuries in the scuffle. He was transported to a local emergency clinic where he was treated and released.

The roundup of criminal aliens has sparked protests in the Capital City. One twitter user posted a video from an overnight protest march: [VIDEO]

More than 2,000 criminal aliens were rounded up during Operation Crosscheck in 2015. 1,000 of the captured criminal aliens were targeted because they had felony convictions. Those range from voluntary manslaughter, child pornography, robbery, kidnapping and rape. Fifty-eight of those captured were known gang members, while eighty-nine were convicted sex offenders.

President Donald Trump stated, during his campaign for president, that he would prioritize the arrest and deportation of criminal aliens. However, ICE roundup operations of this nature are regularly scheduled during the first part of the year.

The Mexican consul general in San Antonio claimed that Operation Crosscheck is underway in six different states, the Austin American-Statesman reported. ICE agents have arrested 44 criminal aliens in the past two days.

Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for Breitbart Texas. He is a founding member of the Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX.